


" ... e fu quel bacio rivelazione"

by nausicaa_of_phaeacia



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post "Chosen", Post Season 07, Post Series, Post Sunnydale, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 15:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa_of_phaeacia/pseuds/nausicaa_of_phaeacia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Sunnydale, Willow feels she owes Giles.<br/>A stupid little something I thought of during the holidays :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	" ... e fu quel bacio rivelazione"

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely not my best work, I got bored during the holidays. Hope it's still enjoyable to some extent, I was very impatient with it. :)  
> I don't own anything but my own thoughts. Unbeta-ed.

Willow rested the top of her head against the train window, fascinated by the view. Following Buffy and Dawn to Rome for a short visit had been a good idea; she had also been to Florence afterwards. It had all been for a few days only, but her mother's words had rung true (and they hadn't too often): Italy was indeed always a good idea to have your soul repaired.  
So much had changed since the destruction of Sunnydale. Everyone had spread out to different corners of the world. Kennedy had left, after a few months of bliss. Since the spell, dozens of Slayers had moved to Ohio, leaving all of those involved in the events of Sunnydale in a cloud of relief. Giles had considered resuming his activities as an active Watcher, but had eventually decided against it -- they had seen enough indeed, and with Buffy moving to Europe to start something new, he had settled for working for the Council, researching and archiving in Bath. Willow herself had been toying with the idea of returning to the coven in Devon; instead, she'd joined the Council to do research work, too. It had been the right thing to do. She smiled now that she thought about it; every day there felt like an affirmation of her decision. Actually, everyone who had made it out of the crumbling town seemed to have found something new, something that would slowly but surely heal the wounds Sunnydale had inflicted on them. 

Well, everyone but Giles, actually, Willow thought. Even though he always seemed alright and settled, she could never avoid feeling that something was still off, that a crucial piece was still missing from his life. As if his life was completely alright, but not in colour, maybe. Well, screw comparisons. She sighed. But something had to be done about it, right?  
A very much intimidated passenger, asking her if the seat next to her was occupied, tore her from her thoughts; apparently, she had sat there with her "resolve face" on and discouraged him a little. She smiled at him apologetically and pushed her bag under her seat to empty the seat to her right. 

Willow suddenly was determined to meddle with Giles' life. A little, at least. And not necessarily with magic. Well, most probably without magic, considering Giles' past enthusiasm for her magical interventions. But there just had to be something that could be done for him. She'd try and find out this weekend - since the train was going to take her to Bath anyway, why not pay him a surprise visit? Maybe call him first, though. After minutes and minutes of pondering her vague plan, she politely asked her seat neighbour if she could use his mobile phone for a minute. Giles wasn't at home, and she left a message that sounded very much like her, announcing herself for the weekend. Giving back the phone, she swallowed. It had been a while since she had done anything so daft and spontaneous. Not counting her evil times, of course. She took a deep breath and felt exactly the way she did upon entering her first class at college. 

Seconds after she knocked at his door, a beaming Giles opened it. He'd obviously listened to her message and been expecting her. "Willow, what a pleasant idea! Come in! It's so nice of you to come and visit me." Shyly, she entered the house, and he immediately took her luggage and put it in a corner. "Hi Giles," she smiled, not sure what to do, but found herself wrapped in a wonderful hug only seconds after. Well, hugging she could do! She hadn't been sure how he was going to react to her visit - they did both work for the Council, true, but Giles had never been one for publicly displaying any kind of affection, especially not in front of colleagues. Thus, their friendship had suffered a little under the pressure coming from the Council. Also, Willow always felt guilty when with Giles; she owed him so much and he had never, ever asked for anything in return. Tangled up in this trail of thought, he had to ask her twice if she wanted any sugar as they sat in his living room. Stirring her cup of tea, she told herself that this was another argument for getting involved in his affairs. Just a little, anyway. She'd think of something; Giles had just agreed to have her stay at his house for a few days. 

They had dinner together and sat at the fireplace for a while afterwards, talking about Sunnydale times, each nursing a drink. Time flied, and Giles, who'd had a hard day, excused himself comparatively soon. He briefly showed Willow around and set up the guestroom for her. They briefly hugged each other good-night. After having prepared herself for going to sleep, Willow decided to wander around the huge house for a bit. She had ended up a little buzzed anyway - Giles and his goddamn Scotch! - and knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep too soon. Strolling along the different rooms, she couldn't help but realize it was all a little lonely. Eventually, she ended up in Giles' library which was also, apparently, his study. It was a heavenly place: filled with antique and rare books up to the ceiling. For what was probably more than an hour, Willow walked around the shelves and admired the titles, occasionally pulling out a book and leafing through it; after having examined what was probably half of Giles' collection, she reached a very elegant oak desk. It looked like his regular workplace, and Willow knew she wasn't supposed to snoop around, but couldn't help herself when she discovered an unfinished handwritten letter. At first, she had sworn to only admire Giles' handwriting for a minute, but forgot all her resolutions when she discovered that the letter was directed to Buffy.

The words were simple but heartbreaking, and when she had finished it, Willow knew it was one of those letters one never really has the courage to send. Since it was unfinished, she'd never know what else he'd wanted to tell her, but from what she had read, it was a humble and honest message saying how dearly she was missed, and how much he wished their friendship could be renewed. Nothing about it was mushy, and the simplicity of its plea moved Willow to tears. Very carefully, she tucked it back where she had spotted it, between a few more sheets. Had anyone been able to observe her in this moment, they would have noticed that she unconsciously practiced her "resolve face". An idea struck her, and smiling warily, she finally went to bed. She owed him, and now was her opportunity to return the favour just a little.

When Willow woke in the morning, Giles was already gone. It was a good thing she still had a few more days off from work, or she would have been late for the first time in her life. After breakfast, she got out her laptop, connected the modem and started to write Buffy an e-mail. In four days, the Council was going to have a quite small reception in honour of Giles' involvement as an official Watcher in the events of Sunnydale. (About bloody well time, Willow thought. It had been _years_ since the town's collapse.) Buffy had already very politely declined the invitation she'd received from the Council - she'd said she had too much work to do, but Willow sensed it was because she was afraid of meeting Giles again. Though they had reconciled and nothing bad had happened between them ever since, Giles and Buffy hadn't been in contact too frequently since Sunnydale. A lot was probably still in the air between them, although they had parted in friendship. Willow also knew both felt very guilty for various reasons, so it was possibly up to her to set things right. God, why did she always have to be the awkward one when it came to relationships? She wished she had become more easygoing and open. Of course, matters had improved, but whenever something strange came up in a friendship, she was usually the one to fall back into awkwardness and make things even more complicated than they had to be. It had to be different this time. Come on Willow, you're a grown woman, you can do this, she muttered to herself. She was going to keep it as short as possible. Skip the superfluous stuff.

_Dear Buffy,_  
 _hank you so much for your invitation and hospitality. I really enjoyed Rome. And Dawn is such a sweetheart._  
 _Listen, there's something I have to ask you. I know you said you're not able to attend on Sunday but if there's any way you can still make it, please fly over here. You know him, Giles would never say a word to you about it, but I know he needs you. I don't think he can do it without you._  
 _Buffy, I know this is none of my business. But I know he misses you like hell and I think you miss him too. If you come, let me know and I'll make sure the Council pays for your flight. I'm staying at Giles' place right now, but I'll be home soon so the guestroom is going to be free._  
 _Sorry for the awkwardness. You know me, right?_  
 _Kisses x_  
 _Wills_

Before she could change her mind, Willow quickly hit 'Send'. There was no way back now. God, she hoped she'd done the right thing. She felt like a stupid teenager. When had everybody else grown up?  
Willow prayed Buffy wouldn't be angry with her. Then again, when she had been in Rome, she had noticed that her friend had hung a photograph of them - the only existing photograph of Slayer and Watcher, sent as a birthday card by Giles last year - next to her bed. He still had to play a very important role in her life, right? Letting out a theatrical sigh, Willow went to work to pick up a few assignments to tend to over the weekend. I mustn't screw this up, she kept telling herself. She had acted upon a mere impulse after all.

 

***

 

Buffy let herself fall into bed, face first, after a very long day. Giving group lessons in different kinds of martial arts had been a nice decision - it was what was closest to Slaying business, after all -, but it sure drained her, despite the great physical shape she was in. After minutes of hiding her face in a flowery pillow, she lazily reached for her laptop to check her e-mails; there was one from Willow. Surprised, she opened it; usually, they would talk on the phone, so e-mails always meant something really complicated, or at least really serious.  
She had to read it twice to be sure. _I know he needs you._ She turned around to lie on her back and stared at the ceiling, playing with her hair. _Giles would never say a word to you about it._ Well, it was true - she missed him too. She wondered when things had become so different between them; they had once been so close, and even if they had reconciled and returned to being friends after all the chaos, it was different now. They had been partners, they had been a team, but even though they had still been very important to each other later on, they intimacy of their relationship had long disappeared, had been more or less destroyed by events of apocalyptic nature. 

She lay awake all night, tossing and turning in bed. Dawn was definitely going to notice the shadows under her eyes in the morning. Buffy had involuntarily shut Giles out of her life: yes, Italy had been a good idea, as had been the decision to take a break from Slaying business. But the distance had taken its toll on their relationship, and now that she thought about it, she actually missed him so much it hurt. If she was being honest, he had actually been her most important friend for a very long time: the most loyal, too. Willow and Xander were not to be forgotten, of course - but Giles had unconditionally sacrificed everything for her. Yeah, that was his job, she told herself, but the nagging little voice in the back of her head knew better. 

At dawn, Buffy turned on her laptop again. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but she was fiercely determined to change her mind and accept the invitation. While her browser was loading, she opened her balcony door and stepped out into the cold morning air, wrapping her arms around herself. So much had changed since the destruction of Sunnydale. She knew she'd always feel like a child in some respects, but yes - all she had experienced in California had shaped her into an adult, and Europe must have added the final touch. She smiled as she remembered a past conversation: she wasn't cookie dough anymore. But it was her fault, for the most part, that they had become estranged from one another. She probably owed Giles her presence at the event. At least that. If only they could resume their friendship; but it hadn't really been a friendship, had it? They had been friends, yes - but what had been between them was so much more than just that. She had never before tried to define it, and now struggled to understand. Suddenly, she shivered; maybe she was too tired to make sense of the whole thing, but she had a suspicion concerning her own feelings that intimidated her a little. What if there was just a tiny chance that she carried a tiny bit of love for Giles in her heart? And there it was again, the childlikeness... It was probably nonsense. But if it wasn't just friendship - what was it?  
She typed faster than she would have believed herself capable of.

_Dear Willow,_  
 _it was absolutely amazing to have you here. I love Rome so much, glad you enjoyed it. Dawn is already trying to bribe me into inviting you again next month, and I think I'm going to cave in to her demands._  
 _Wills, I don't know what to say. If you say he really needs me, I'm going to jump on the next plane out of here. Did he tell you to ask me?_  
 _God, I don't even know what's really going on with me anymore. You're right, I miss him. But things are just so awkward between us and I'm scared of ruining what's left of our relationship. What do you suggest?_  
 _Love ya_  
 _Buffy_

The answer arrived within mere seconds. Willow must have been waiting for her to write.

_Buffy, I don't know. Please don't ask me. You know how much of a dork I am when it comes to these things. But no, he doesn't know I wrote you. It was my idea. Sorry if it's stupid. But if you miss him, maybe it's not such a bad one. xoxo_

Buffy's heart was pounding in her throat for no apparent reason. She swallowed. She was a grown-up, goddamnit, she should be able to tell good from bad decisions, right? Also, what was Giles going to say if she'd just show up at his doorstep?  
Willow seemed to be able to read her mind.

_If you're worried about his reaction, don't be. You know he loves you._

Buffy almost jumped. _You know he loves you._ Love as the love that you get in a friendship, right? Lord, why did this have to be so complicated? She let out a nervous little chuckle and replied.

_Screw this. I'm booking a flight now. Remind me later that I did this because I wanted to. In case I'm triggering an apocalypse or something._

Seconds later, another notification from her inbox.

_He's probably going to faint. Glad you're coming. Call me from the airport._

Buffy giggled. And why ever shouldn't she be visiting her Watcher?  
When she told Dawn about it in the evening, her sister laughed at her and told her it was more than about time. Whatever she meant by it.

 

***

 

When Giles unlocked his door in the evening, the familiar scent of his favourite blend of tea instantly made him smile. Willow.  
"Hi Giles," a cheerful voice warbled from the kitchen. He leaned against the doorframe, smiling at her. "You made tea."  
"Yes, um, I-I thought you'd like a cup or two after a long day." He beamed as she carried a small tray into the living room, and they made themselves comfortable on the couch as he poured the tea. "Thank you," he whispered after the first sip, winking at her. "You're the first American person to make it exactly the way I love it." Willow blushed slightly, but smiled. "Glad you like it."

She seemed very shy, maybe even a little nervous this evening, so after a short while of just chatting, he asked her if everything was alright. "Well, yeah ... I was just thinking about Sunday, you know, the reception and everything. I'm sort of, um, nervous about it ... I mean it's your event of course, but you know. It's the first time I've really faced so many people from the Council since, um ... Ever, I mean." His smile was very warm. "Don't worry about it, Willow. As sad as it is that we lost so many people to the explosion, the Council has changed a lot in the past few years. I-It's gotten almost enjoyable to work there. And you know Wesley ... Mr Wyndham-Pryce, he-he's really doing everything he can to improve things." Willow grinned, nodding. After a moment, Giles sighed, pouring himself another cup of tea. She was fidgeting with her sleeves, gathering the courage to ask him about it. 

"Giles, everything okay?"  
He took off his glasses and started to clean them, the first and most reliable sign that something wasn't. Or that he was confused, at least. She almost smiled at the familiarity of the gesture. "Y-Yes, thank you, Willow. I was just thinking about ... about Buffy, actually." Before Willow could ask anything else, he continued, "How was your visit in Rome?" She gave him a few details of her trip, not focusing on Buffy or Dawn, but the city, and she felt his slight disappointment. He made very average, but nonetheless nice comments about her elaborations, then said, in passing, "Pity she can't be here. On Sunday. I-I mean, I understand. It's quite a trip, and she's always so busy. I-I'm glad she's, uh, found a good occupation, and I understand D-Dawn is doing very well." He put his glasses back on, opening his mouth to add something, but seemed to reconsider and stood up instead. "Thank you very much for the tea, Willow. I think I'll retire for today." Willow just nodded, smiling at him. "Sleep well, Giles."

Deep in thought, he went up the stairs. After getting ready for bed, he briefly considered reading, but found that he couldn't concentrate on the plot and gave up after two pages. Careful not to disturb Willow, he quietly put on a record of different Puccini arias. He hadn't listened to it in years, well, decades, even. It used to be one of his favourites quite a while before he had moved to America. After a few lines, he already felt a hint of regret at his choice, because he found himself all the more reminded of Buffy. As soon as he realized the possible implications of that, he felt his heart rise to throat and beat as if it were a matter of life and death. But that couldn't be. He was her Watcher, after all. They had been friends. Why should a few years of not seeing each other change anything? Why should the observation that he was missing her mean anything? Annoyed with himself, he lifted the needle and turned off the light, knowing that sleep was going to stay an utopia tonight. It could have been so nice to see Buffy, he thought, only getting angrier with himself.

 

***

 

It was unbelievably sunny on the Saturday afternoon Buffy arrived in Bath. Willow picked her up from the train station, wisely bringing her a cup of coffee, too. They shared hugs and laughter, and Willow offered to pull the suitcase. It was quite a short walk, and Buffy, admiring what she saw, forgot to complain about her exhaustion. Upon reaching Giles' place, Willow quickly showed her around her house, then hastily taking leave to "help move around the stuff for the thing tomorrow". Before Buffy could reply, her friend turned around briefly to say, "He's out in the garden. Oh and, Buffy, um, he doesn't know that, you know-", and then was gone.  
In contrast to the cheerful chitchat they'd had during their walk, the house seemed oddly silent. Willow had left her in the guest room, and Buffy took a quick stroll around the house, quite soon ending up next to Giles' desk. Inevitably, she also found the letter Willow had read; Giles had been working since Willow's discovery, but only moved it around with his papers without finishing it. Buffy was petrified, but there was a warm and tingling feeling in her stomach that was completely unknown to her. Could it mean-? ... No. Cutting herself off, she put the letter back, rearranged her hair and stomped downstairs and out the back door to find Giles.

As she stepped outside, the evening sun turned the beautiful meadow behind the house into a glowing field. The grass stood very high, and since the garden was much larger than one would expect it to be, looking at the house from the street, it almost seemed like a golden pond. The wind caressed the wild flowers, and as Buffy waded through the glimmering waves, she discovered her Watcher, sitting at the far end of the grass field, in the midst of rank growth, with his back to her. Actually, she heard him before she spotted him: next to him, there was an old record player, playing a beautiful aria from an opera Buffy certainly had never heard. It was an incredible picture, and she found herself holding her breath at the intensity of it. Undoubtedly, it was very peaceful, but the air had a simmering buzz to it that made her feel as if the core of her heart were visible on the outside for the whole world to see. Unable to avert her eyes or turn around, she continued to walk towards him. By the time he noticed that someone was approaching, she had almost reached him; he turned around and rose immediately upon seeing it was her. Surprise seemed to paralyze him, but there was something else in his expression that stole all the worlds she had struggled to gather on the tip of her tongue while walking in his direction. A mere moment passed before he quickly closed the distance between them; when he almost reached her, she managed to start, "Willow said-", but was cut off.

Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the Puccini record he had listened to all afternoon - he swept her into his arms without hesitation, circling her waist with a strong arm to press her to him, and to crush his lips to hers, his other hand soft on her nape. She was completely taken aback and before she could react, he broke the passionate kiss. Nobody had ever kissed her like that. Even though Giles was absolutely terrified, he felt tempted to smile at what Leontyne Price proclaimed to them from the record player: "... e fu quel bacio rivelazione" - and that kiss was a revelation. Well, you could always count on Puccini, couldn't you. The lyrics didn't mean anything to Buffy, but when she realized what had just happened, she smiled anyway, understanding the plot Willow had hatched, but also - finally - comprehending why it had happened. If he kissed her, it had to mean that-

And she kissed him back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)  
> Hope it was okay, maybe I'll edit & improve it some day!  
> Let me know what you think :)


End file.
